Monday, February 4, 2013

The betting odds today would be that universalizing background checks (which has overwhelming public support) has a 2-in-3 chance of becoming law, curbing ammunition clips is a 50-50 proposition and the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban (which expired in 2004) is no better than a 1-in-10 shot. (So far, the other things he wants Congress to do — including increasing mental health care funding, boosting federal aid for school security and lifting restrictions on government studies about the causes of gun violence — have not gotten enough attention to merit such predictions.)

Keep up the pressure on your U.S. Senators. Vice President Joe Biden has said new gun laws would not stop mass shootings.